The Bansfield Benefice is the collective name for the Parishes of Cowlinge, Denston, Lidgate, Ousden, Stansfield, Stradishall and Wickhambrook in the Diocese of St Edmundbury and Ipswich, Suffolk, United Kingdom.

Thursday, June 1, 2017

Summer welcomes us to explore our great outdoors once more, to venture beyond the usual haunts of dog walks and well-trodden pathways. As you perhaps look forward to journeys afar, do enjoy our open-garden season (11th June Ousden, 24th June Cowlinge), fetes (22nd July Stansfield) and carnivals (8th July Wickhambrook), as well look out for our churchyard paths - labyrinths at Wickambrook and Stansfield (and the Cathedral Labyrinth, Exploring Prayer Day 1st June).

The Church's Festivals of Pentecost and Trinity explore spiritual insight, guidance and revelation in every age. The creation story of Genesis reminds us to fulfil our purpose to steward earth's garden paradise, and increasingly we are becoming alert to the damage we are inflicting on our environment. Our combined attrition on our world's resources seems unstoppable yet take example from the visionaries of our day, we can change, and we can amend our ways. I was inspired by a recent broadcast which looked at humankind's impact on the environment from space, and the disappearing snow and ice fields of Mount Kilimanjaro. A local runner trains on the slopes of this mountain, and where once he would run through rivers and streams, as the forests around the mountain have been cut down, so the streams and rivers have slowed and dried as the ice and snows of the mountain top disappear. And yet, thanks to the vision of a local diocese, whose bishop leads regular pilgrimages of his flock into the cleared fields to plant trees, local streams have begun to run again.

Here we have a story of hope, one visionary action can inspire and lead us to change our course. The story of Pentecost, inspired those who had followed Jesus and witnessed His crucifixion to live His risen life, and the good news of new life in Christ has been broadcast throughout all the world.

We can change, we can look to life in all its fullness, the lesson of Creation's story revealing God's blessing in creation. Be refreshed in these blessed days of summer, and be inspired to believe we can change direction and become good stewards of this garden earth.